Combined signboard and flasher mechanism



Feb. 23,1926. 1,574,674

' W. -W. M DANIELS COMBINED SIGN BOARD AND FLASHER MECHANISM Filed May 15, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Qwumdoa;

Feb. 1926.

. 1,574,674 w. w. MCDANIELS 1 I COMBINED SIGN BOARD AND FLASHER MECHANISM Filed May 15, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 23 1926 w. w. MCDANIELS COMBINED SIGN BOARD AND FLASHER MECHANISM Filed May 13, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 4i 1 da Vii/ll)! Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

' UNITED STATES WALTER W. MCDANIELS, OF WAUPUN, WISCONSIN.

COMBINED SIGNBOARD AND FLASHER MECHANISM.

Application filed May 13, 1925.

To all whom, it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WALTER WV. Mo-

.I)ANIELS, a citizen of the United States, re-

sidingat lVaupun, in the county of Dodge and State of lVisconsin, have invented cerlain new and useful Improvements in Combined Signboard and Flasher Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a combined sign board and flasher mechanism and aims to provide a structure wherein the ad vertisement or the like displayed by the device may be changed easily and quickly.

An important object of the invention is to provide a sign board having the major portion of its area occupied by electric bulbs, each of which is in circuit with a circuit closer mounted on a board, and means for selectively actuating the circuit closers whereby outlines will be illuminated on the s gn board.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for selectively operating thecircuit closers mentioned wherein the same consists of a plurality of members actuated by a specially constructed apparatus so as to be successively brought into operative engagement with the circuit closer.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a switch board with a plurality of circuit closers mounted therein, and a plurality of plates each having thereon a plurality of elements corresponding in number and arrangement to the number and arrangement of the circuit closers and adapted to receive members for actuating the circuit closers, whereby said members may be arranged in a desired outline such, for exmple, as to represent a letter, so that when the plate is moved toward the switch board, said members will actuate the switches for causing the illumination of corresponding electric bulbs mounted on the sign board.

A still further in' portant object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the above nature, which is exceedingly efficient and reliable in its operation, not liable to readily get out of order, and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which it is de signed.

lVith the above and numerous other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in cer tain novel features of construction, and in the COHlbillttlllOl'l and arrangement of parts Serial No. 30,068.

as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the flasher mechanism.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section, taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged detail section through the supporting structure, and showing the switch board in elevation, said view being taken substantially on the line 4:-4: of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view, showing one circuit closer in the switch board, with an actuator engaged therewith.

Figure '6 is a detail perspective of one of the spring members of the circuit closer.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view showing the link plates.

Figure 8 is an end elevation of one of the polygonal drums with the actuating members associated therewith for imparting intermittent rotary movement thereto.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view showing one corner of the sign board, and.

Figure 10 isa diagrammatic view showing the electriccircuits incident to the flasher and sign board mechanisms.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it

will be seen that in Figure 9 I have disclosed a sign board 5, which has mounted on one face thereof a plurality of electric bulbs 6 grouped in close relation to one an other and covering the major area of the sign board. A base 7 has mounted thereon a frame consisting of sides 8 and Forwardly of the sides 8 and 9 there is disposed a supporting frame 10, which is mounted on the base 7 and is braced by members 11. A switch board 12 is supported in the frame 10 by means of binding screws 13, so that the board may be adjusted both vertically and horizontally by proper manipulation of the screws 13. A plurality of circuit closers A are mounted in the board 12. The number and arrangement of these circuit closers A correspond to the number and arrangement of the bulbs 6 on the sign board 5). Each circuit closer includes an insulator 14 which is projected through an openin 15 provided therefor the board 12. A olt 16 extends longitudinally through the insulator 14, terminating at one end in a head 17, which is engaged by a conductor 18 leading to the corresponding bulb 6 on the board 5. The other end of the bolt is screw threaded for receiving a nut 19 which fastens to the bolt a U-shaped spring 20, which is so tensioned that its terminals are nor mally out of engagement with the board 12. This board 12 is constructed of suitable conducting material, so that the terminals are spread so as to engage the board, a cireuit will be completed, as will be hereinafter more fully described, for causing the illumination of the corresponding bulb on the board 5.

A11 electric motor 21 is mounted on the base 7, adjacent the side 8 of the supporting frame, and the armature shaft thereof has mounted thereon a pinion 22. A shaft 23 is suitably journaled in the side 8 and has fixed thereon a. gear 24, a cam 25, and a segmental gear 26. The gear 24 is in mesh with the pinion 22. A shaft 27 is journaled in the upper portions of the sides 8 and on its terminal adjacent side 8 is provided with a pinion 28 meshable with the gear segment 26. It will thus be seen that the operation of the motor 21 will transmit an intermittent rotary movement to the shaft 27, through the intermediacy of the pinion 22, gear 24, shaft 23, and segmental gear 26. Adjacent the gear 28 there is fixed to the shaft 27 a disc 29 having therein a notch or indenture engageable by a pin 31, slidable between lugs 32, and pivotally connected to a lever or pawl 33 which is pivoted intermediate its ends as at 34, to the side 8. A spring 35 has one end fixed to the lever and the other end fixed to the side 8 so as to swing the lever and project the pin normally in an engaging position with the indenture 30. During the operation of the apparatus referred to above, the segmental gear 26 is rotating, referring to Figure 1, in a clockwise direction, and it will be seen that as the first teeth of the gear segment engage the gear 28, the cam 25 will engage the extren1i ty of the lever 33 and rock the same to disengage the pin 31 from the indenture 30, so that the shaft 27 is free to rotate. When the last tooth of the gear segment 26 leaves the gear 28, said shaft- 27 shall have completed one revolution and the pin 31 will again engage in the indenture 30 so as to prevent accidental rotation of this shaft 37.

A polygonal drum 36 is shown as including four sides or faces, and is jonrnaled between extensions 37, projecting rearwardly from the sides 8 and 9. This polygonal drum 36 is in the form of a frame work consisting of square frame ends 38 mounted on the shaft 39 journaled in the extensions 37 by means of diagonally disposed rods 40, which, at their intersections, form collars for receiving said shaft. Corner bars 41 extend between the corners of the square frames 38, and are braced in respect to each other and in respect to the shaft 39, by diagonally disposed rods 42 having at their intersections a collar 43 fixed to said shaft.

The sides 8 and 9 are provided adjacent their forward ends with longitudinally and horizontally disposed slots 44, which terminate at their upper rear corners in openings spanned by springs 45. Another polygonal drum 46 is constructed of plates, and is provided with axially disposed square pintles 47, projecting from its ends. The drum 46 is also square and the faces thereof are concentrically arranged with the faces of the pintles 47. One of the pintles 47 has mounted thereon a ratchet member 48, consisting of a body having projected therefrom at regular intervals four curved fingers 49. An arm 50 has one extremity formed with a collar 51 keyed to the shaft 27 as at 52, while the other end terminates in a hooked terminal 53, for engaging the ends of fingers 49. The arm 50 revolves about the axis of the shaft 27 in the direction in dicated by the arrow in Figure 8, and each revolution of this arm, when engaged with a finger 49 will cause the rotation of the drum 46 through 90. The drums 36 and 46 are provided on their faces adjacent their ends with a plurality of guide lugs 54. A chain light member 55 consists of a pluralit of hingedly connected link plates 56, the hinged connection therebetween being indicated at 57. Each plate 56 has projected therethrough a plurality of screws 58, which extend beyond the outer face of the plate, as is shown to advantage in Figure 5. These screws 58 on each plate are equal in number and similar in arran ement to the electric bulbs 6 on sign 5, and the circuit closers A on board 12. Circuit closer actuators in the form of insulators 59 are engageable with the screws 58.

Horizontally disposed guide cleats 60 are arranged on the inner surfaces of the sides 8 and 9. These guide cleats are arranged in pairs, one pair on each side, and the cleats of each pair are spaced vertically, is indicated to advantage in Figure Rack bars 61 are slidable between the cleats of the pairs. Each rack bar 61 includes a longitudinally disposed extension 62 having in its terminal an opening-63, which receives the respective square pintle 47 projecting from the end of the drum 46. Each rack bar 6]. is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 64, having its sides provided with inwardly projecting teeth 65. A pair of segmental gears 66 are fixed to the shaft 27 and are engageable with the teeth of the rack bars 61, so that these rack bars will be slid back and forth in their respective sides for moving the drum 46 away from and toward the frame 10. It is thought that the construction of the apparatus has been set forth in sufficient detail so that the operation may now be followed without difficulty. The motor 21 is in operation, thereby imparting rotary movement of an intermittent nature to th shaft 27 as previously outlined. This causes rotation of the gear segment 66, referring to Figure 3, in a clockwise direction, thereby moving the drum 46, so that the plate on the front face thereof is in close proximity to the switch board 12. This causes the insulators 59 on said plate to actuate the circuit closers A corresponding thereto and lighting the bulbs 6 corresponding thereto on the board 5. Now the continued rotation of the gears 66 will move the rack bars 61 rearwardly causing similar movement in the drum 56. When the drum 56 has arrived so that its pintles 47 are engaged by the springs 45, the arm 50' will engage one of the fingers 49 to cause a quarter revolution of this drum, so as to bring the next plate of the chain like member to the front of the drum. The steps which I have outlined in detail are continued in the succession. noted as long as the motor 21 is continued in operation without any further attention on the part of an operator.

The plates 56 are provided with projections 70. These plates 56 are of such size that when they are disposed on the front and top faces of the drum 46 they will coincide therewith. In order to properly place the switch board 12 in the frame 10, it is only necessary to move the drum 46 forwardly either manually or by actuation of the apparatus as previously described, and the projection 70 will engage in depression 71 provided in the switch board 12, so as to insure the axial alignment of screws 58 with corresponding circuit closers 8, this adjustment being made possible through the binding screws 13 as previously indicated.

Any suitable outline may be made, by the arrangement of insulators 69 on the plates 56. For instance, if it were desired to spell a word by the successive display of the proper letters by the sign board 5, it would be only necessary to arrange the insulators 59 on successive plates to conform to the outline of the letters of the word desired to be displayed. It is also apparent that these outlines may be very easily changed, and do not require any technical knowledge or skill. Outside of ordinary wear and tear and lubrication, the apparatus requires little or no attention, except for the opening and closing of the control switch. In order that a practical embodiment of the invention may be constructed from this disclosure, I have disclosed a wiring diagram in Figure 10. Wires 18, as previously indicated, connect conductors 16 with their respective bulbs 6. A wire is connected to each of the bulbs 6, and one contact of a double switch 76 in circuit with the line leads 77 and 78. The wire 79 connects the other contact of the switch with the board 12.- Thus, when one of the insulators 59 engage the spring 20, the current will flow from a suitable source of electrical energy through the wire 78, switch 76, wire 75, electric bulb 6, and returned through wire 18, conductor bolt 16, spring 20, switclr board 12 which is grounded through the wire 79, switch 76, and wire 77, thus completing the circuit.

It is obvious, of course, that the chain like member 55 must have sufficient slack to allow the movement of the drum 46 longitudinally of the supporting frame formed by sides 8 and 9. The guide lugs 54 maintain the link plates 56 of the chain like member 55 in proper position on the faces of the drums 46 and 36.

It is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of the invention will now be clearly understood without a more detailed description thereof. It is desired to point out that the present embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, merely by way of example, and attains all of the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It is apparent that numerous changes in the details of construction, in the proportions, sizes, and combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. An apparatus of the class described in cluding a supporting structure, an endless member including a plurality of units, projections extending from the units, means for operating the endless member intermittently, a switch board including a plurality of circuit closers engageable by the projections, and means for moving one of the units toward the switch board during an idle interval of the endless member, so that the projections will operate the circuit closers.

2. An apparatus of the class described including a. supporting structure, an idler drum mountedin the supporting structure, an operating drum rotatable and slidably mounted in, the supporting structure, means for intermittently operating the second drum so that it will alternately rotate and slide in the supporting structure, said endless member comprising a plurality of units for actuating circuit closers.

3. An apparatus of the class described including a supporting structure an endless member movably mounted in the support ing structure and including a plurality of hingedly associated units each provided with a plurality of detachable and rearrangeable projections, means for operating the endless member intermittently, means for moving one plate of the endless memher in the supporting structure, a switch board including a plurality of circuit closers actuatable by said projections when said second means moves said plate toward the switch board.

4. An apparatus of the class described including a supporting structure, a switch board in the supporting structure including a plurality of circuit closers, a plurality of plates, a plurality of elements on each plate equal in number and similar in arrangement to the circuit closers in the switch board, circuit closer actuators detachably engageable with said elements, means for progressively moving the plates toward the switch board so that the actuators will engage the circuit closers, each circuit closer including an insulator, a conductor bolt extending through the insulator, a. U-shaped spring on each bolt having its terminals normally out of engagement with the switch board, said actuators being adapted to spread the terminals into engagement with the switch board for closing circuits.

5. In an. apparatus of the class described, a supporting structure, a shaft journaled in the supporting structure, means for imparting intermittent rotation to said shaft, an idler drum mounted in said supporting structure, an operating drum mounted in said supporting structure to rotate and slide therein, an endless member trained over the drums, said power drum provided with a ratchet member including a plurality of fingers, an arm fixed to the shaft and engageable with the fingers for imparting segmental revolutions to the power drum for progressing the endless member, and means operable by the shaft for sliding the power drum in the supporting structure, said endless member including a plurality of circuit closure actuators which are adapted to engage the circuit closers at one end of the sliding movement of the actuating drum.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting structure, a shaft journaled in the supporting structure, means for imparting intern'iittent rotation to said shaft, an idler drum mounted in said supporting structure, an operating drum mounted in said supporting structure to rotate and slide therein, an endless member trained over the drums, said power drum provided with a ratchet member including a plurality of fingers, an arm fixed to the shaft and engageable with the fingers for imparting segmental revolutions to the power drum for progressing the endless member, means operable by the shaft for sliding the power drum in the supporting structure, said endless member including a plurality of circuit closure actuators which adapted to engage the circuit closers at one end of the sliding movement of the actuating drum, said means including a pair of rack bars slidably mounted in the supporting structure and engaged with the actuating drum, segmental gears provided on the shaft, said rack bars provided with longitudinally extending slots having their side edges provided with inwardly projecting teeth for engagement with the segmental gear, so that a back and forward movement is imparted to the rack bars upon the rotation of the shaft.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting structure, a shaft journaled in the supporting structure, a pinion on the shaft, a drive shaft, a segmental gear on the drive shaft for intermittently operating the pinion, discs on the first shaft provided with an indenture, a pin slidable on the supporting structure, a pawl pivotally mounted on the supporting structure and having one end pivotally engaged with the pin, a pin associated with the pawl for normally holding the rack for maintaining the pin in engagement with or in an engaging position for engagement with the indenture, and a cam on the drive shaft for swinging the pawl to disengage the pin from the indenture of the disc as the segmental gear engages with the pinion.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting structure, a shaft journaled in the supporting structure, a pinion on the shaft, a drive shaft, a segmental gear on the drive shaft for intermittently operating the pinion, discs on the first shaft provided with an indenture, a pin slidable on the supporting structure, a pawl pivotally mounted on the supporting structure and having one end pivotally engaged With the pin, a pin associated with the pawl for normally holding the rack for maintaining the pin in engagement with or in an engaging position for engagement with the indenture, and a cam on the drive shaft for swinging the pawl to disengage the pin from the indcnture of the disc as the segmental gear engages with the pinion, said supporting structure provided with a pair of slots having their ends adjacent the first shaft formed by springs, a druln having polygonal pintles extending into the slots, aratehet member on the drum, an arm on the first shaft for engagement with the ratchet member for causing a segmental revolution of the drum by engaging the ratchet member, and means for sliding vthe supporting structure, a pinion on the shaft, a drive shaft, a segmental gear on the drive shaft for intermittently operating the pinion, discs on the first shaft provided with an indenture, a pin slidable on the supporting structure, a pawl pivotally mounted on the supporting structure, and having one end pivotally engaged with the pin, a pin associated with the pawl for normally holding the rack for maintaining the pin in engagement with or in an engaging position for engagement with the indenture, a cam on the drive shaft for swinging the pawl to disengage the pin from the indenture on the disc as the segmental gear engages with the pinion, said supporting structure provided with a pair of slots having their ends adjacent the first shaft formed by springs, a drum having'polygonal pintles extending into the slots, a ratchet member on the drum, an arm on the first shaft for engagement with the ratchet member for causing a segmental revolution of the drum by engaging the ratchet member, means for sliding the drum when the arm is disen gaged with the ratchet member, rack bars slidably mounted in the supporting structure and engageable with the pintles of the drum, said rack bars provided with longitudinally extending slots having their longitudinal edges provided with inwardly extending teeth, and segmental gears fixed to the first shaft for engaging the teeth of the rack bars and sliding the same to and fro in the supporting structure for imparting similar movement to the drum.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting structure, a shaft journaled in the supporting structure, a pinion on the shaft, a drive shaft, a segmental gear on the drive shaft for intermittently operating the pinion, discs on the first shaft provided with an indenture, a pin slidable on the supporting structure, a pawl pivotally mounted on the supporting structure and having one end pivotally engaged with the pin, a pin associated with the pawl for normally holding the rack for maintaining the pin in engagement with or in an engaging position for engagement with the indenture, a cam on the drive shaft for swinging the pawl to disengage the pin from the indenture on the disc as the segmental gear engages with the pinion, said supporting structure provided with a pair of slots having their ends adjacent the first shaft formed by springs, a drum having polygonal pintles extending into the slots, a ratchet member on the drum, an arm on the first shaft for engagement with the ratchet member for causing a segmental revolution of the drum by engaging the ratchet member, means for sliding the drum when the arm is disengaged with the ratchet member, rack bars slidably mounted in the supporting structure and engageable with the pintles of the drum, said rack bars provided with longitudinally extending slots having their longitudinal edges provided with inwardly extending teeth, segmental gears fixed to the first shaft for engaging the teeth of the rack bars and sliding the same to and fro in the supporting structure for imparting similar movement to the drum, and endless members trained over the drum and including a plurality of plates having removable and rearrangeable projections thereon forming circuit closer actuators, and a switch board comprising a plurality of circuit closers adapted to be operated by the actuators when the drum is moved toward the switch board.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' -WALTER W. MODANIELS. 

